Boarder Patrol

By Erin Thomas

Ryan is determined to be a professional snowboarder but he's learned from what happened to his whistle-blower father that doing the right thing doesn't always pay off. When his parents leave Kamloops, Ryan decides to stay with relatives so he can be near the Salmon Valley Ski Resort. He spends all his time at the ski hill, volunteering with the Junior Safety Patrol to cover the cost of his lift pass.

When his board is stolen, he discovers that his cousin, Kevin, knows more than he should about recent thefts at the resort. Kevin's in way over his head, and soon Ryan's involved, whether he wants to be or not.

As Ryan prepares for the video shoot that could be his big break, he learns that Kevin's in danger. Ryan has to choose between career and family, and hope that, for him, doing the right thing will pay off.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Release date: May 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9781554694457

Erin Thomas

An acclaimed writer among entrepreneurs worldwide, Erin Thomas always knew that she would write a children's book when she had a story truly worth telling. You are holding in your hands that story and her debut as a children's book author. Erin's mission in life is to build a magnificent existence that is authentically, unapologetically, her- and to help others do the same. For her, it's a life full of far-away lands, powerful storytelling, deep connections, joyous music, big love, unbridled freedom, endless play and giant slices of cake.A Charleston, SC, native, Erin currently lives in Europe with her husband, daughter, a Boston Terrier, a French Bulldog and two cats that think they own the place. (They're probably right.)

Book preview

Boarder Patrol

Erin Thomas

orca sports

Copyright © 2010 Erin Thomas

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Thomas, E. L. (Erin L.)

Boarder patrol / written by Erin Thomas.

(Orca sports)

ISBN 978-1-55469-294-1

I. Title. II. Series: Orca sports

PS8639.H572B62 2010 jC813’.6 C2009-906874-5

First published in the United States, 2010

Library of Congress Control Number: 2009940936

Summary: Ryan wants to be a professional snowboarder, but when he has to choose between promoting his own career and saving his cousin’s life, he does the right thing, despite the loss of a great opportunity.

Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.

Cover design by Teresa Bubela

Cover photography by Dreamstime

Author photo by Neil Kinnear and Lesley Chung

Orca Book Publishers

PO Box 5626, Stn. B

Victoria, BC Canada

V8R 6S4

Orca Book Publishers

PO Box 468

Custer, WA USA

98240-0468

www.orcabook.com

Printed and bound in Canada.

Printed on 100% PCW recycled paper.

13 12 11 10 • 4 3 2 1

For Mom, who didn’t laugh when I said

I wanted to write a book for a sports series.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter two

Chapter three

Chapter four

Chapter five

Chapter six

Chapter seven

Chapter eight

Chapter nine

Chapter ten

Chapter eleven

Chapter twelve

Chapter thirteen

Chapter fourteen

Chapter fifteen

Chapter sixteen

Chapter seventeen

Chapter eighteen

Chapter nineteen

Chapter twenty

Chapter twenty- one

Chapter twenty- two

Chapter twenty- three

Chapter twenty- four

Acknowledgments

chapter one

I’ve always liked this part, sitting on the snow at the top of a mountain, strapping on my snowboard, looking down the run.

Pretty, isn’t it?

I cranked my neck around to see who was speaking. It was Jamie Clark. The racing helmet she wore muffled her voice, so I hadn’t recognized it right away. Her long brown ponytail was a dead giveaway though. Not that I needed it. I could pick out her jacket and board and the way she stood, from all the way up in the chairlift.

So could my cousin, Kevin. He was the one usually riding the lifts with me, rolling his eyes while I pointed out Jamie. He was more like a brother to me, really, especially now that my parents had moved away. I had stayed behind, living with Kevin and his parents so I could finish high school close to the mountains. I’d given up a lot for boarding. I wondered, sometimes, if I’d made the right choice.

I spent all my time outside of school and work riding my board. I had no social life to speak of. There were good parts though, and hanging out with Jamie was one of the good parts.

I guess, I said.

I’m sixteen. Somehow I thought there’d be some deep-seated knowledge kicking in by now, making small talk with girls feel as natural as riding a board. It hasn’t happened.

Jamie didn’t answer. She just lifted off her helmet and sat down beside me.

You going down? I asked. Which was clever, given that we were sitting at the top of a run, and she was strapping on her board.

She grinned. Thought I might. Want to race?

Race? I knew Jamie went in for boardercross racing sometimes, but that wasn’t really my thing. Boardercross is like motocross on a snowboard; riders race down the hill, and it’s more about speed than style. If you can stay in control and not get knocked over by the other guy, you’ve got a shot at winning. I stuck to the slopestyle competitions, where it’s what you do on the hill that matters, not how fast you get down it. I like to do tricks. In boardercross, showboating costs you speed. In slopestyle, it wins you points.

She nodded. It’s a time-honored tradition. Two competitors start down the same run at the same time, and the one who reaches the end first wins.

Funny girl.

Come on, Ryan. There’s a race this Sunday, and you know they always use this run. I could use the practice. You’re not going to compete, are you? She knew I never raced boardercross, so she didn’t bother waiting for me to speak. You can help me, then. Let’s go.

She hopped up on her board, slid around and dug her toe edge in, facing me. She held out a mittened hand.

Loser buys the winner hot chocolate? I let her tug me up.

We slid to the drop-off. I tugged my goggles into place and tightened my helmet strap.

The run we were standing on, Funnel Run, started out wide and then got narrow halfway down. After that, the course was broken up with jumps and turns. Of course, in boardercross, that’s when the interesting stuff happens. The racers crash into one another and cut each other off, trying to get ahead.

I had no intention of bodychecking Jamie. She was a lot smaller than me. I’d just have to nail my lead by the halfway point.

One, she said, eyeing me.

Two, I said.

She took off, buying a board-length lead by the time she called Three.

chapter two

I tucked, going for speed as I dropped into the hill. I ride goofy—right foot forward. Jamie rides regular—left foot forward. So we were facing each other as I shot past her and waved.

I threw in a couple of S curves, barely touching my edges to the snow, just enough to stay in control. The wind blasted my helmet.

Jamie cut down a steep slope, angling toward me. I thought she was going to check me, so I tucked again and got out of the way. She’s not big, but even a hundred pounds of dive-bombing snowboarder is to be avoided.

Boardercross. Not my sport.

She had put me off my course, and, as we headed into the narrow bit, she had the more direct line down the hill. I edged closer, crowding her, but she didn’t give.

I scanned ahead. There was another boarder on the hill. We’d have to avoid him. He was well past the narrows, so no problem. If I forced Jamie left, though, she’d have to take a jump to avoid him. I might be able to gain some ground while she was in the air.

I moved in, forcing her up the hill. She had to give ground or risk coming too close to the other boarder. She went for a straight jump, not a lot of air, trying for distance rather than height. In the meantime, I crouched low and zoomed ahead.

Jamie rode high on a curve, trying to come down ahead of me again, but it cost her speed.

One of my favorite jumps was at the bottom of this run. It’s why I wanted to ride down it in the first place. And I had time. Jamie was way behind me now.

I took the jump, rather than riding straight to the finish. I should have played it straight, like Jamie had done on the other jump, but in the end, I couldn’t resist. I had the speed. I knew I could nail it.

And I admit, knowing that Jamie was right behind